The texte.

Page  xxiTHerfore acccordyng to Onesiphorus example and myne, take thou a strong stomake vnto thee, laying hold vpon the good∣nes of God, whiche we haue by Christe Iesus: and beyng pre∣pared and armed agaynst all periles, that syncere doctrine of the ghopell, whiche I delyuered vnto thee not in hucker muc∣ker but openly before manye wytnesses, see that thou, dearelye beloued sonne, delyuer likewise by handes vnto others to be published abrode: not to euery bodye at auenture, but to those that thou shalt thynke wilbe faith∣full ministres, and that shall appeare apte, not only to folowe that thyng them selues that they haue receiued, but also to powre it purely abrode vnto others. Thou seest, that suche as be appoyntedto the ministeries of warre, set all mat∣ters aparte and leaue nothing vnwrought or vndone, that they maye vse their feates with commendacions. And Christe hath euen his maner of warre also. And he it is in to whose boke thy name is written, and to serue hym thou haste taken thyne othe, and he hath made the Captayne of his armyes. Se therefore, that as it becometh a valiaunt captayne agaynst al sorowes that fortune, thou shewe thy selfe hartie and worthy thyne Emperour Iesu Christ, whiche conty∣nued stedfastly in the offyce commytted vnto hym euen vnto the crosse. Be not careful for y^e pelfe that man lyueth by in this world. Cast y^• care al together vp∣on y^e emperour, be y^u altogether in this mind, y^t what he hathe cōmaūded the, go hertely about it. It behoueth not vs to appeare more slacke in the warefare of Christ, thā we see y^• cōmen sort of souldiours be in y^• seculat warres. For which of thē is it, y^• whan he hath once appoynted himself to the kyng or Emperours warres, is carefull for clothe or meate? The prouision of these maters, the Em∣perour taketh vpon hymselfe. A souldiour, hath nothyng to •are for, but to make hys trauil acceptable to the Emperour, of whom he was chosen as a va∣liaunt and a faythfull souldiour vnto thys busynes: For he knoweth hys re∣warde is ready in thempoerurs handes, in case he deserue it. Also among suche as haue gyuen them selues to wrastle for Mastries, it is not ynoughe for eue∣ry one that wrastleth, to wrastle it maketh no mater howe so that he wrastle, but he stryueth to wynne the victorie, beyng assured that there is a crowne readily prepared: yea, but for him that behaueth hym selfe hartilye and stowtelye in wrastlyng. After the same sorte a diligent husbandeman, whan he breaketh vp his ground, whan he donggeth it, whan he soweth it, whan he w••deth it, he is all together in his worke, and thinketh no labour paynefull to him in hope of the frute, that he knoweth the good grounde wyll yelde in his season. Howe muche more behoueth it vs to doe the same, whiche are occupied in the ghos∣pelles affaires, that being prouoked w^t the rewarde of immortalitie, we should suffer all thynges willynglye in this worlde, speciallye forasmuche as we haue an Emperour that nother wil nor can deceaue vs? Considre what I meane by these similitudes. The lord geue thee vnderstandyng, not only in these but al∣so in all other thinges. Hereof cōmeth no losse at all, but rather whan affliccy∣ons encreace, the gayne of saluation whiche is preached by the ghospel encrea∣ceth also. For so is it Goddes pleasure to declare his myghtye power. We haue sene in the heade what we maye trust vpon in our selues.

The texte.

It is requisite to haue in remembraunce, as thou knowest, that Christe Ie∣sus beyng made mortall man of the sede of Dauid, hath enhaunced the glorye of the ghospell throughe suffrynge of rebukes, and after the punishemente of the crosse was exalted to the rewarde of immortalitie. This is the ghospell, that I preache yet hitherto without shrynkynge, beyng neyther afrayed of the Iewes malice nor of the Gentyles feare. And for the ghospelles sake I am afflicted with many displeasures of them both yea euen vnto pryson and bon∣des as thoughe I were an euyll dooer. And for all that I doo not so geue o∣uer the preachyng of the ghospell. My bodye is bounden yetto, but •• toungue that preacheth Christ could not be bounden. And beyng a prysoner, as muche as doeth possyblie lye in me, I allure as many as I can vnto Christ of what sorte so euer they be. It maketh no matier to me what I suffre, so that I maye encrease some gaynes to the ghospell of Christ. For this cause sake, I suffre all thynges wyllynglye, beyng assured of mine owne saluacion, and that they also throughe preachynge of the ghospell shall atteyne saluation, whō God hathe appoynted to this felicitie, whiche saluation is offered to all men, not throughe Moses lawe, but throughe Iesus Christe, who lyke as he hathe suffred for vs, so lykewise it becometh vs to suffre for his gospelles sake and for the saluacion of our brethren: and lyke as he throughe sondry afflictions and spyghtefull entreatyng was exalted to the glorye of heauen, euen so muste we preace to the same ende by the same waye. This matier vnto manye semeth hard & vncredible, but vnto vs it ought to be vndoubted. For yf we bethrough baptisme dead together with Christ vnto the lustes of this world: or also yf we perseuer in the professyon of baptisme, & so it chaunce vs to be turmoyled with the sorowes of this world, it shal come to passe, y^t we shal also liue w^t Christ, y^• is to wete, we shall be cōpanions of immortalitie w^t him, whiche were cōpanyons of death with him: And yf we suffer wyth hym and for his glorie, we shall vn∣doubtedly reigne w^t him also. For god is of most perfite equitie, & wil not suffre those to be shut out from the felowshippe of reygnyng, whom he would haue to be felowes of sorowes suffryng. Yf we professe him boldely in this worlde be∣fore men, he shall acknowlege vs also in his Maiestie. But and if we shall denye him (for he denyeth him that refuseth his crosse) it shall come to passe, that in the laste daye we shall heare that terrible voice: I knowe you not. It we put our trust in him, we do for our owne wealthe, but if we distrust him, he shall haue no losse. For concernyng our opinion of him, there commeth neyther wynnyng nor losyng to him therof. He of his owne nature is true, and can not chose but be lyke hymselfe. Whether we beleue or beleue not, that shall come to passe that he hath promysed, to the godly, lyfe that neuer shal dye: and to the vngodlye, deathe that shall neuer haue ende. Thys is the foundacion of the ghospelles doetrine. Of this see thou warne all men, wythoute disputyng and Page  xxii wrangglyng with humayne argumentes, but charge them by the Lord Iesus the autor of this doctrine, and the witnesse of thy monicion, yea and the reuē∣get of vngodlynes, excepte they will repent beyng warned. By this manner of sadde earnest charge geuyng, thou shalt doo more good, than with disputing. Mynde not in any wise to stryue with wordes after the maner of Sophisters, nor couet with humayne reasones to affirme the thinge that oughte to be per∣ceaued by faythe. For that matter doeth not onely auayle nothyng to the fur∣theraunce of godlynes, but also it weakeneth the strength of faythe, and at length subuerteth the myndes of the hearers, that euerye thinge is called in to question, and with philosophicall reasones the thyng now set vp now throwen •••ne, whereof it is not lawfull to doubte, and so ariseth question vpon que∣stion, that there is nether ende nor measure of questionyng.

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See that thou rather let suche maner of wranglynges passe, and studye to shewe thy selfe a ghospellyke workeman, not a disputour, but a woorkeman, laudable not vnto men but vnto God, and behaue thy selfe so in the ghopels affayres, as he that hath chosen thee, nede not to be ashamed of thee. And that shalte thou doe, in case thou wylte thwyte of vayne fonde disputacions, and teache faith to be the summe total of the ghospels doctrine: and yf thou brushe awaye the brambles of doubtefull questions, and deuyde and dystribute the worde of God wyth vprighte iudgemente, propoundyng onely those thynges, that properlye belong to the matier of saluation and of Godlynes. Moreouer reiecte boldely vayue brablyng of wordes, whiche yf they be once receyued, ve∣nome appeareth by lytle and lytle, and they shall growe alwayes to wicked∣nes more and more, and at length the mater shall come to that ende, that mans opinions and dysputacions beynge come in vre, the strength of the ghospels doctrine is ouerwhelmed, obscured and growen out of vse. For the talke of suche men, in case it once occupie the eares and myndes of the symple, it wyll alwayes crepe further and further, none otherwyse than a Canker in a bodye ceasseth not to occupie the nere partes by lytell and lytle, tyll it haue marred all. So that a myschiefe is muche more to be loked to incontinent at the begin∣nyng, and to be cut of rather than chearished, afore it take roote. Suppose that I am afrayed of these matters wyth oute cause, excepte that wee haue all readye seene in Hymeneus and Philetus the thyng that I am afrayed of. For they, while they treate of the matter of fayth with humaiue disputacions, haue ••ted so ferre wyde frome the truth of the ghospell, that they haue denyed the chiefe poynte and foundacion of the ghospell, saying, that the resurrection is already fynished in Christe, and none other resurreccion to be loked for on our Page  [unnumbered] behalfes, than that wherby we are in a maner borne a newe and lyue agayne in our children representyng vs. They consyder not in the meane season that take awaye the resurrection, y^t the feare, and hope of rewardes is taken awaye also, why che abyde after sondry sortes for the godly and vngodly. This myschiefe were the more tolerable, but that they beyng subuerted them selues-subuerted the fayth of some other with their doctrine. But there is no perill, lefte-theyr peruersitie shoulde cleane turne the trueth of the gospel vpside downe: though mennes opinions wauer vp and downe, yet truely the foundacion of faythe beyng throughe the helpe of Christ cast and defenced, standeth firme and can not be shronken with any resistences of heretikes. For vnto it is thys sentence eng•auen as it were a stone and can neuer be scraped out: The Lorde knoweth who be his owne and: leate euery one departe from iniquitie, that professeth• the name of Christe. It is no maruayle, though they departe frome Christe, that were neuer syncerely ioyned vnto Christe. But from these mens doctrine ought euery one to absteyne, that haue once beleued the ghospell with a pure fayth. In dede it is to be wyshed with all desyres, that no suche pestilence spryng vp in the congregation. Howbeit it can not possiblye be, but in suche a multitude of men, we must suffer some naughtie packes myngled among the good. Yea and theyr naughtines is turned into good of the godlye, in that be∣yng vered of suche they expresse the constauncie of their fayth more largelye. So in a riche mans great house, there be not only vesselles of gold and siluer, but also of wood and of earthe, whereof some be appoynted to honest vse and some to vnhonest. This onely difference there is, that suche as be naturally of claye or of wood, can not be turned in to golde or syluer: But in this case for∣asmuche as it is a matier of the wyll, and not of nature, he that throughe hys owne vyce hathe made himselfe a vessell of shame, maye (by the helpe of God) begynne agayne to be a vessell of honour. And contrarywyse, that folower of godlynes that hath bene a golden vessell in the house of God, in case throught his faulte he slyde agayne vnto vngodlynes, shalbe a vessell of shame. Vnbe∣lefe, desyre of aduauncemente, crueltie, luste andsuche lyke deseases of mynde, make a man to be a vessel of shame. From the which who so shal vtterly purge hym selfe, and returne vnto innocencie and godlynes, no doubte he shalbe a vessell of honoure and a pure vessell fytte for excellent good vses, and alwayes ready for his lorde as often as nede shall requyre.

The texte.

I knowe that youth is prouoked with sondrye lustes that maye drawe a man to vncleanesse. But thou that exercisest the office of an Elder, auoyde all lustes of youthe, rather folowe the thynges that worthyly beseme thee: righte∣ousenes, fayth charitie and peace with them that professe Christe with a pure herte. With suche as Hymeneus is, haue thou nothynge to doe. Innocencie synneth not, fayth disputeth not charitie is not statelye, peace stryueth not. T• be shorte, receyue no folyshe and vnlerned questions, that haue more ostentaci∣on Page  xxiii than wisedom, knowyng that of suche nothing elles spryngeth, but chyding and braulyng, whylest the heate of disputacion breaketh oute alwayes more and more, the matter at last groweth vnto rageyng madnesse, and so that none wyll geue place to other but had rather moste stubburnely defende the parte that he knoweth to be false, than to be taken for the lesse learned. With thys kynde of men therfore thou shalte not meddle, whan it is not possyble to ouer∣come them. Christe perswaded not the worlde by this waye. He ouercame with sobrenesse and gentilnes, and his voyce was not hearde in the stretes.

And so it becometh the seruaunt to folowe his maisters fote steppes, and not to be abrauler, but peaceable and gentle towardes all men: for that man doth perswade with more ease that is praysed for his charitie and sobrenes, beynge ready rather to teache than to chyde: patient in suffryng euill, and not a pro∣uoker, and suche a one as correcteth more saddely than sharpely, those that be resistoures, expressyng himselfe to meane nothyng elles in all his muche a do, but to bring them to amendement. For no man ought to be despaired of rashe∣ly. For it maye be, that throughe sobre and frendelye correccion, God maye geue them repentaunce of their former errours, and whan the darkenesse of mynde is wyped awaye, they maye acknowledge and embrace the trueth which before they impugned, and at laste beyng repentaunte and (as it were) awa∣kyng frome the heauye slepe of ignoraunce, they maye rushe out of the deuil∣les snare, whiche vndoubtedlye are naughtye lustes, wherein beyng catched before, they were caried about at his pleasure, yea euen vnto persecutyng the trueth of the ghospell.